Find a Mesothelioma Attorney

Filing a Claim for Mesothelioma & Asbestos

Filing an asbestos-related claim with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be considerably easier — and likely more successful — with assistance from the Veterans Department at The Mesothelioma Center.

Former U.S. Army Capt. Aaron Munz is director of the Veterans Department at The Mesothelioma Center. Munz is a decorated veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004.

Aaron Munz

Director

Former Army Capt. Aaron Munz served nine years in the U.S. Army in combat and strategic training before leaving active duty in 2006. Munz uses his experience to help other veterans in need of help, especially when it comes to filing VA claims.

As director of the Veterans Department, Munz uses his experience to help other veterans navigate the often complicated VA disability claims process. He maximizes the chances of winning a claim. And will work — at no charge — for individual veterans.

That means there is no risk. In fact, the potential rewards can be life-changing for veterans and their families. Imagine removing much of the frustration and anxiety that comes with dealing directly with the VA. It could also be rewarding financially.

The Veterans Department at The Mesothelioma Center doesn’t work for the VA or for any other government agency.

Quick Fact:

For assistance in filing for VA benefits, or if you just need some advice, contact our Veterans Department. One of our representatives will be there to assist you. They can send you an informational packet designed for veterans or chat with you on the phone.

Veterans with mesothelioma or any asbestos-related disease may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including VA disability compensation and VA health care. The trick to filing a successful claim is knowing how to write it, how to cut through the red tape, and how to avoid the pitfalls that often lead to disappointing results.

Have Questions About Medicare Coverage?

Our Veterans Department can help you or a loved one file asbestos-related VA claims and potential benefits.

Eligibility for VA Benefits

Eligibility for most VA benefits starts with discharge from active military service under other than dishonorable conditions (OTH), although other than honorable and bad conduct discharges (BCD) may preclude the veteran from eligibility. Eligibility includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), formerly known as the Environmental Science Services Administration.

Exposure Summary

Once that qualification is established, the veteran must convince the VA that the subsequent disease was likely a result of asbestos exposure on active duty. This is done through an exposure summary, which is a history of military job ratings, discharge status and civilian work history.

Medical Evidence

Someone with mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer must provide medical evidence that his or her lung cancer came from asbestos exposure and that they were exposed to asbestos while on active duty in the military. An exposure summary spells out in detail where a veteran served and what specific tasks he or she performed while serving. The VA understands that anyone who served in a branch of the military prior to the 1980s was exposed to asbestos. The question then becomes: How much asbestos?

Medical Documentation

The key to a successful disability claim is convincing the VA that the condition is “service-related.” The veteran must provide medical documentation that convinces the VA that the disease is “as likely as not” to have been caused by military service. Getting a doctor to make that declaration can be crucial.

When it comes to mesothelioma, asbestosis or any asbestos-related illness and gaining a successful claim of disability compensation, at least half of a veteran’s lifetime exposure to the toxic material must have occurred during military service.

Claims Agents

An experienced Claims Agent can help a veteran write his Asbestos Exposure Summary for the VA, assisting him in providing the proper documentation necessary to qualify for benefits.

Learn About E-Consultations for Veterans

An e-consultation can get you an opinion from a top mesothelioma specialist without having to travel.

Mesothelioma

The VA recognizes mesothelioma as a service-connected disability but only if the majority of the exposure occurred during active duty. There are four generally accepted types of mesothelioma: pleural (lungs), peritoneal (abdomen), pericardial (heart) and testicular (testes).

The VA also only recognizes two of the four types of mesothelioma (pleural and peritoneal) as disabilities that are covered 100 percent. Because mesothelioma is caused only by asbestos exposure, which was so prevalent during the 20th century military life, less documentation is required for those cases.

Asbestos Lung Cancer and GI Cancers

Although these diseases are known to be caused by asbestos exposure, they also have been linked to other potential causes, like smoking, hereditary factors, and exposure to other dangerous substances, such as Agent Orange that was used so extensively during the Vietnam era.

To get these types of cancer approved by the VA as “service-related” conditions, veterans must provide some medical documentation that convinces the VA that they were caused by asbestos. It means that asbestos must be as likely as all other potential causes combined.

It helps if the veteran has a doctor to make that verification. Lung cancer, for example, is caused by smoking and asbestos. This is where a Veterans Service Representative from the Mesothelioma Center can help with the necessary documentation.

The VA recognizes these cancers as potential asbestos diseases:

Lung cancer

Bronchus

Gastrointestinal tract

Larynx

Pharynx

Urogenital system, except the prostate

Talk to a Doctor About Your Diagnosis

We can connect you or a loved one with top mesothelioma doctors and cancer centers in your area.

Asbestosis and Other Non-Cancerous Asbestos Diseases

These non-cancerous asbestos diseases are viewed differently than mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer, which are seen as totally disabling by the VA. The monthly benefit would reflect that 100 percent disability.

The non-cancerous asbestos diseases are rated by the VA based on several criteria, including the results of a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT). It can result in a rating that is anywhere between 0 and 100 percent disabled.

The VA acknowledges that inhalation of asbestos fibers can produce:

Fibrosis, which is a buildup of connective tissue. The most common place for this is in the lungs.

Asbestosis, a type scarring of the lungs.

Pleural effusions, excess fluid buildup around the lungs.

Pleural plaques, a buildup or calcification of the lining of the lungs.

Disability Compensation Amounts

Disability compensation is usually paid monthly. The amount of compensation is determined by the veteran’s disability level, which is interpreted on a percentage scale of 0 through 100. Mesothelioma and other cancers have a 100-percent disability rating.

The government’s veterans compensation benefits rate for mesothelioma typically starts at more than $2,800 per month and increases depending on the number of dependents a veteran has.

Dependents Example

An unmarried veteran with no children and a 100 percent disability rating can expect to receive more than $2,800 a month in benefits. A veteran with a spouse and child can expect to receive $3,037 a month in benefits.

Other Types of VA Compensation

In addition to Disability compensation, the VA also offers health care services, Special Monthly Compensation and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

VE Health Care Services

In addition to disability compensation benefits, the government provides health care at several VA treatment centers across the country for veterans who may have been exposed to asbestos and other environmental hazards while on active duty. Certain VA treatment centers offer specialized care for mesothelioma patients, such as the Boston VA Healthcare System and the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System.

Quick Fact:

Soldiers who served in recent campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries may have been exposed to asbestos when older buildings were damaged.

Special Monthly Compensation

SMC is a monthly benefit paid to veterans who are housebound, bedridden or disabled to a degree that they require the aid and attendance of someone else for care. This compensation is available to spouses and parents of veterans.

The amount of SMC someone receives will depend upon how much aid and attendance they require, though the benefit usually runs from $250 to $650 a month.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation

Commonly known by its abbreviation, DIC is a monthly benefit available to the surviving spouse of a veteran whose death was caused by a service-connected disability. The monthly benefit is $1,195.

A spouse needs to file a DIC claim even if their loved one was receiving disability compensation for mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease prior to their death. If a veteran was not receiving VA compensation, a surviving spouse may apply for DIC, and they must submit information documenting the service-related asbestos exposure.

Asbestos-related diseases most often develop in older veterans, but young veterans are susceptible to developing them in the future. That’s because while asbestos is heavily regulated in the United States, the same is not true for other countries around the world.

Get Help Paying For Treatment

Former U.S. Army Capt. Aaron Munz is the director of the Veterans Department at The Mesothelioma Center, and he is a VA-accredited Claims Agent. He received the Bronze Star in 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Munz has intimate knowledge of how veterans were exposed to asbestos because he served under similar conditions.

Connect With Us:

The information on this website is proprietary and protected. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any unauthorized or illegal use, copying or dissemination will be prosecuted. Please read our disclaimer for more information about our website.

Asbestos.com is sponsored by law firms. This website and its content may be deemed attorney advertising. Prior results do not predict a similar outcome. For more information, visit our sponsors page.